photography

Gecekondular - living on the edge

The idea behind the term gecekondu (“settled by night”) implies that land settled overnight could be retained by those who had settled it. Gecekondu settlements were tolerated by the authorities mostly because it offered quick and cheap housing solution for the masses whose workforce were needed at the industrialization process. However, urban development and transformation projects are designed to allow authorities to reclaim such lands and realize development plans, regardless of the residents’ wishes and existing residential structures.